Publishers, Professors, and Textbooks

To the Editor:

Because James Lichtenberg works for the Association of American
Publishers, his job is to promote textbooks ("Publishers,
Professors, and the Importance of Textbooks," Point of View, May
18). But by discussing textbooks generically, Lichtenberg
exaggerates their value. He assumes texts offer "a coherent
presentation of the curriculum" and provide "tangible proof that
students have been presented with information essential for
learning."